June 28/05 9:09 am - Dave Towle to Announce at Gastown

Posted by Editoress on 06/28/05

Voice Of American Bike Racing Coming To GastownCourtesy Greg Descantes

Dave Towle, the lead announcer of two of the United States biggest races, the Tour De Georgia and the USPRO Championships in Philadelphia, is coming to Vancouver July 20th to provide colour commentary at Canadas most prestigious criterium, the Tour de Gastown.

Sharing the mike with Towle for the 25th running of the Tour de Gastown will be Kelowna, BC-based Phil Johnson, whose distinctive voice has made him the voice of cycling in BC for more than 20 years.

Towle, a Boulder, Colorado resident who also announces the Sea Otter Classic and T-Mobile International, brings with him a vast knowledge of the North American and international cycling scene and a passion for cycling which dates back to when he began racing his bike at the first Red Zinger Mini Classic in 1980.

According to Towle, coming to the Tour de Gastown is as much a thrill for those covering the race as it is for the riders looking to add their name to the race's long list of great past winners.

Theres no doubt that Gastown has become one of the biggest one-day races in North America, said Towle. The size of the crowds, the quality of the fields and the huge prize list ensure a competitive and aggressive race each year. I used to live in Seattle, and spent a lot of time on Vancouver Island. I have been well aware of Gastown and have wanted to come up for years. Gastown is a huge deal, and I don't like missing big races!

Among the riders committed to racing in Gastown in 2005 are members of Health Net, Navigators, Jelly Belly, Jittery Joes, Symmetrics, Subway and Quark.

The riders in the pro peleton love the course and the atmosphere up in Vancouver, added Towle. It's considered one of the funnest races of the year, and certainly not to be missed.

The Tour de Gastown (July 20) is part of BC Superweek, which includes the Tour de Delta (July 15-17) and the Tour de White Rock (July 22-24), and features North Americas top professional cyclists racing for $50,000 in cash prizes.